Project: Bachelors
by L100Meganium
Summary: Nobody really wanted the Bachelor Party. Especially not the two men it was planned for. Part 3 of the Project: Matchmakers series!
1. Surprise

**A/N:** This was supposed to be a one shot, but then I wrote 14 pages and still wasn't done, so. You get this nonsense for 2 weeks! YOU'RE WELCOME, INTERNET.

Thanks for reading! I love unicorns!

* * *

Realistically, they should have known this was going to be trouble as soon as he'd come knocking on their door.

"Hurry, hurry!" the man in orange pleaded, dragging both of them by a sleeve. Phoenix wasn't sure how he had managed to convince them to hop in Miles's car and drive all the way to the courthouse. It had probably been because their old friend had been hysterical and they could scarcely get anything coherent out of him.

"Enough, Larry!" he finally said when he'd dragged them all the way to the courtroom door. He yanked his sleeve out of Larry's grip. Miles looked a little short of breath, but Larry appeared to be wired with nervous energy, his eyes darting around and his mouth twitching. "First you practically break down our door," Phoenix continued, "shouting about how ' _they're gonna kill me'_ and ' _you gotta come with me or it's going to be a mess!'_ Then you drag us all the way to the _courthouse_ at 8 PM?!" He popped his hands on his hips, irritated. "What gives?!" Phoenix had been looking forward to spending a quiet evening at home with his fiance. He'd been about to change into pajamas, and was going to try to convince Miles to do the same, but then their troublesome old friend had shown up out of nowhere to upend their entire evening.

Larry scratched the back of his neck, looking nervous. "Look, guys, I promise I'll explain once we're inside," he promised, but Larry's promises rarely counted for much.

"And why should we go into the courtroom?" Miles inquired, raising an eyebrow. His arms were crossed in that typical stern manner of his, but he looked a little less intimidating when his bangs were crooked from all the running around.

"Come on, Edgey, it's me! Larry!" their friend said, pointing to himself as if they needed help recognizing him. "Would I ever steer you wrong?"

"Yes," Phoenix and Miles replied at once.

"Okay, fair point," Larry admitted, holding up a finger. "But you might change your mind once you see what's in this courtroom."

Phoenix exchanged a curious glance with Miles. Well, he certainly had their attention now, in any case. "Should we humor him?" he asked reluctantly.

"I suspect that if we don't, we shall never hear the end of it," Miles responded with a sigh.

"True. Although I can't imagine anything in this courtroom is going to suddenly convince us that Larry is reliable," said Phoenix.

"I concur."

"Hey, come on, guys..." Larry said mournfully, his shoulders slumping. "I'm right here..."

"Oh, sorry." Phoenix turned to face him again. "Fine, Larry. We'll take a peek inside this courtroom. But then we are going straight home."

"I doubt that!" Larry exclaimed excitedly, and shoved the huge wooden courtroom doors open.

" _SURPRISE!"_ chorused a dozen or more voices then.

Phoenix stumbled back on his heels at the sight of a small crowd of people already there in the courtroom, all wearing bright smiles. His eyes searched the place. There were streamers hung up haphazardly, and a banner at the back of the room which read " _HAPPY BIR_ _CONGRATULATIONS, MILES AND PHOENIX!"_ There was what appeared to be a large cake up on the Judge's bench, and various party favors covering those of the defense and the prosecution. Curiously, there were also two ice sculptures in the shape of swans.

"What… in the world is this?" Phoenix finally said, looking around the room warily.

"It's your Bachelor Party, dudes!" Larry burst out, stepping in front of Phoenix and Miles and flinging his arms up triumphantly.

"I don't recall ever requesting a Bachelor Party," Miles said immediately.

"Yeah, I definitely didn't either," Phoenix agreed. "I mean, we're not even getting married for another six months."

"That's why it's so perfect!" insisted their old friend. He spread his arms wide. "It's a _surprise_ Bachelor Party!"

Phoenix gave him a skeptical look. "Isn't planning a bachelor party supposed to be the best man's job?" he reminded him. "You're neither one of our best man."

Larry's shoulders slumped again. "Well you don't have to rub it in, Nick," he mumbled.

Phoenix shook his head, and turned to the people Larry had corralled in here. "All right, everyone, thank you for being here. Could you all maybe just… talk among yourselves for a little bit? My _fiance_ and I have to have a talk with _this guy."_ He jerked a thumb in Larry's direction. There were some nods and shrugs from the crowd, and then they slowly fanned out and quiet chatter filled the room.

"Did you really have to emphasize the word 'fiance' so much?" Miles asked when Phoenix turned back around. His face was pink and it was adorable.

"Miles, you know I'm going to take every opportunity to say it that I possibly can," he responded. Miles sighed, but nodded.

"Now then," he continued, turning his attention to Larry. "Whatever happened to _'they're gonna kill me?'_ I'm seeing a startling lack of murderous individuals here!"

"I guess you haven't seen Edgey's face then," Larry tried with a huge grin, but when Phoenix merely continued to stare at him, he groaned. "I knew you guys would never come out here without a good reason! Besides, if we rented out a whole courtroom and you guys didn't show up, I'm pretty sure someone would have killed me, so..." He shrugged. "It's not like I was lying, exactly!"

Phoenix's eyes rolled up towards the tall ceiling, calling on his deepest reserves of patience. "Larry, we appreciate all the trouble you went through for us here," he said when he felt like he could speak again without shouting, "but we were just planning on a quiet evening at home, and Trucy's supposed to be getting out of rehearsal any minute now—"

"Hi, Daddy!" chirped a familiar voice. Trucy was waving to him from the middle of a cluster of people, her blue silk hat emerging as she stepped out of the group. "I didn't have rehearsal tonight, actually! Sorry!" She giggled.

Phoenix rounded on Larry. "You brought my _eighteen-year-old daughter_ to a _bachelor party?!_ " he hissed dangerously.

Larry held up his hands defensively. "H-Hey, man, she said she wanted to be the entertainment!" He rubbed the back of his head, and glanced over at Trucy with a smile before turning back to face Phoenix and his fiance again. "How could ol' Uncle Larry refuse such a cute face?"

"Please don't call yourself that," Phoenix said, rubbing the space between his eyes. Although, knowing Trucy, she had probably already started calling the strange man in orange ' _uncle.'_ His eyes drifted over their guests, and locked onto a certain individual whom he was both confused and relieved to see, and who appeared to be shouldering her way to the front of the group to approach the party's reluctant honorees.

"Hey, Nick," said Maya with a bit of a sheepish smile.

"Maya, why are we at a bachelor party right now?" Phoenix asked.

Maya's sheepish smile turned into a grimace. "Well… he showed up at my doorstep, crying rivers and begging me to let him do something for your wedding."

"We had wanted to keep Larry entirely uninvolved in the wedding planning, as everything he touches meets a disastrous end," Miles said resolutely.

Larry hung his head. "Come on, guys… have a heart, will ya?..."

"If Wright's best man is here, where is mine?" Miles asked next.

"Oh, I asked Franzy if she wanted to help plan this, actually!" Larry hastened to inform them. "Called her up last weekend!"

Miles and Phoenix both scanned the crowd for Franziska von Karma, but they neither caught a glimpse of her periwinkle hair nor the sound of her devastating whip. "And… what did she say?" Miles prompted, as Franziska was evidently not in attendance.

"She said, _'Technology has not yet invented a method for whipping fools through the telephone, Lawrence Butz, but I swear to you if you ever call this number again, I will swiftly make a scientific breakthrough to do so."_ He gave them a flashy thumbs-up. "She's even cute when she's threatening!"

"That does sound like Franziska," Miles said reluctantly.

"' _Lawrence?'_ " Phoenix repeated incredulously.

Miles was shaking his head. "I wonder why she did not inform me about this..."

"Well, probably because I didn't actually get a chance to talk about the party before she hung up on me," Larry explained. Both Phoenix and Miles buried their face in their hand.

"Look, I know Larry is a walking trouble magnet—" Maya conceded.

"You too, Maya?" Larry whimpered.

"—but he seemed really earnest about helping you two out, so..." She shrugged. "I figured, what the hey. You guys weren't expecting a bachelor party. Larry can't ruin something you have no expectations for."

"I'm not so sure about that," Phoenix said grimly.

"G-Geez, I guess I'll just go somewhere and die, then!" Larry blubbered, his eyes swimming with tears. "After all the effort I put into this party..." Phoenix's eyes flitted over to the lopsided and sloppily-corrected banner and messy streamers. Well, at least the ice sculptures were nice. Larry was an artist, after all, Phoenix supposed. "You guys just want to tell me it was all useless?" said artist continued petulantly, clenching his fists. "You're cold! You know, I brought you together in the first place. You should show me a little gratitude!"

"You're right," Miles deadpanned. "Thank you _so_ much for stealing money from a grade-schooler. Your noble act of chivalry has lead us to where we stand today."

Larry actually looked pleased. "That would make an awesome toast, man."

"People are supposed to toast the _married couple,_ Larry!" Phoenix exploded.

"Nick," Maya said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Chill out, okay? I've got this in hand. I promise I won't let Larry wreck everything. But everyone's already here. We might as well have the party."

The calmness in her dark eyes was reassuring. "All right," said Phoenix, his shoulders relaxing a little. "We'll stay for an hour or so."

"Perfect!" she declared, clapping her hands together.

"The strippers are supposed to get here at 9, so don't leave before then!" said Larry.

Miles went pale. "You… you hired…?"

"Strippers, yeah!" Larry repeated. "No bachelor party is complete without strippers!" Phoenix swore he could see a part of Miles' soul dying with every repetition of the word.

"Has it occurred to you," Miles said slowly, "that I am marrying a _man?"_ His left eye might have been twitching. Phoenix was too nervous to look too closely.

"So?" Larry challenged.

Everyone stared at him for a little while.

Finally, a look of realization crossed his face. "Oh," he squeaked uncomfortably. "I mean… I guess I could try to get some last-minute dude strippers, too—"

" _Please do not,_ " Miles commanded sharply. "Do not _ever._ " His face had cycled from chalky white to beet red.

"Larry, please stop upsetting my fiance," Phoenix reprimanded him. Miles shot him a look that suggested that Phoenix should cool it with the gratuitous use of the word ' _fiance,_ ' but honestly, Miles knew what he had been getting into when he proposed. Hopefully.

Maya cleared her throat, and yanked Larry down to talk to him quietly. "Hey Larry," she said, "see that girl over in the corner?"

Larry craned his neck. "No..."

"Oh, she's behind Detective Gumshoe now…" She _tsked._ "Too bad. She was looking your way, and she was super cute."

He lit up. "Really?"

"Really," she said solemnly. "Hey, why don't you go over there and try to find her? I'll hold down things with Nick and Edgeworth." She gave him a convincing smile, warm with camaraderie.

"Thanks, Maya!" Larry grinned, and smoothed down the lapels of his atrocious orange jacket. "Wish me luck, boys."

"No," Edgeworth responded impetuously as he marched off.

"You didn't really let him get strippers at a courthouse, did you?" Phoenix whispered to Maya when he was out of sight.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What kind of best man do you take me for, Nick?"

He didn't drop his searching gaze.

She scoffed. "Of course I didn't let him do that!" She crossed her arms and gave him an impressive glare. "Geez, have a little faith."

"I knew I made the right choice for best man," Phoenix said appreciatively.

"Yes, thank you for not allowing Larry to run amok, Maya," Miles said with slight smile and an incline of his head, which for him might as well have been a tearful oath of unending gratitude.

"Hey, anytime," she said, beaming. "Anyway, I have to go entertain guests. And also break the news to Larry that there's no mystery girl." With that, she turned and walked away.

Phoenix glanced over at his fiance. "Should we… go mingle or something?"

"We just had the engagement party two weeks ago," Miles said. "I've had my fill of 'mingling' for a while."

"Boy, I have some bad news to break to you about how many people are supposed to be at a wedding," he joked.

Miles glared. "I'm well aware of the length of our guest list, Wright."

"We're in a crowded place, Miles. At our bachelor party." He leaned in and raised both eyebrows coaxingly. "You can call me by my first name here."

"Just because I can doesn't mean I should," Miles shot back stuffily. Hm. Phoenix guessed this whole scene must really be taking the energy out of him. His brows were drawn together, trademark furrow in full-force, and his mouth was set in a downturned line.

"Hey, what's up?" asked Phoenix, taking him gently by the elbow and pulling him off to the side. "You look… upset."

"Aren't you?" Miles turned it back on him. "Larry did not consult us about any of this. He barged into our home and completely ruined our evening."

"Well, it's not like we had much planned anyway," Phoenix shrugged. When Miles just kept frowning, however, Phoenix squinted at him. "Unless…" He gasped. "You _did_ have something planned!" His stomach fluttered a little when Miles reacted by clearing his throat and shifting his weight from foot to foot, the way he always did whenever Phoenix guessed correctly. "What was it? Romantic dinner? A massage? A cruise?"

"No, no, and—why are you always asking me about cruises?" Miles replied with a sort of impatient suspicion.

Memories of a pleasant dream flashed through his mind. "No reason," he said quickly. "So if it's not any of those things, what is it?"

He let a long sigh escape, his shoulders falling. "I had been planning on showing you… something I'd been hiding." He flushed. "Something… personal."

Phoenix stared. He was fairly certain he had seen everything Miles kept hidden, personally-speaking. "Huh?"

"Never mind. Let's _mingle,_ Wright," Miles said shortly, grabbing his arm and dragging him in the direction of their guests. "We'll talk about this later."

* * *

Despite being a walking disaster zone, Larry had actually done a pretty good job deciding who to invite to the party. A fair number of their friends had shown up. Detective Gumshoe was overjoyed at all the food, which was actually pretty good, Phoenix had to admit. Prosecutor Blackquill was off in a corner, his arms crossed, looking like the world's gloomiest and slouchiest statue. Phoenix wondered if he, too, had been lured here under false pretenses. Trucy was doing a flawless job of entertaining the guests with her magic act, though Phoenix was pretty sure the part where she pulled a giant banner that said " _CONGRATULATIONS, DADDY AND PAPA!_ " on it out of an audience member's sleeve was new. The only seemingly uninvited guests were the chattering gaggle of girls that were swarming around Prosecutor Gavin, who was pouring on the charm and cranking up the hair-flips as usual, though he appeared to be sticking almost protectively close together with a fluffy-haired guy with a weird cowlick that Phoenix had seen around the Prosecutor's Office. The kid looked kind of nervous about being here. Or maybe he was just scared of all of Gavin's rabid fans.

"I should bring Mr. Shields, an old friend of my father's, over in that direction," Miles said, nodding at the throng of girls.

"Why?" Phoenix asked curiously. "Is he even more charismatic than Mr. Rockstar Prosecutor over there?"

"No," said Miles. "But he is very good at making women lose interest. He could probably get them to leave."

"Brutal," Phoenix remarked.

The cake was surprisingly good (although it was suspiciously iced with bunnies and eggs, as if it were just a re-purposed Easter cake with "BEST OF LUCK, PHOENIX AND MILES" iced onto it in a corner), but around the time they'd been there for an entire hour, Phoenix was starting to get anxious about whatever this party had interrupted. Miles still seemed stiff and closed-off. Well, more than usual, anyway.

"Miles, please tell me what's wrong," Phoenix finally said, grabbing him by the arm again.

"Nothing is wrong," Miles deflected. "Come along. We haven't yet greeted every single person here."

"You hate greeting people," Phoenix reminded him.

Miles just made a contemplative _hmm_ noise, which Phoenix took to mean that he was acknowledging Phoenix's point.

"You wanted to show me something personal?" He spread his hands. "Well, here I am. Feel free to show me anytime now."

His fiance looked conflicted, his eyes darting around and his tongue darting out to swipe across dry lips, but then he sighed and made eye contact at last. "Fine," he said. "But it can't be here. I don't want to cause a scene. I fear it may make you… _emotional._ "

"What?" Phoenix said indignantly. "That's frankly a little insulting! I am a grown man and I can handle myse—"

"The journal," Miles hissed near his ear. "The one I was going to use to propose to you. I was going to show it to you, finally."

Phoenix gasped. "Really?!" His treacherous eyes stung. "Oh my gosh… that's so sweet…!"

Miles gestured to him with one hand. "My point."

The defense attorney sniffled. "Okay, fine, you win. I feel very deeply, all right?!"

"I know," Miles responded with a half-smile. "Now can we please get out of here so you can blubber in private? We can come back to say good-bye to everyone later."

"I resent your use of the word 'blubber,' but yes," Phoenix replied, looping his arm through Miles'. "Let's go talk to my best man."

* * *

"You're leaving already?" Maya said, her face falling. "But you guys barely even had one slice of cake!"

"I don't particularly like cake anyway," Miles said.

Maya looked at him with an expression of betrayal. "Have you no joy in your heart?" she murmured.

Phoenix rolled his eyes. "It was a great cake, Maya. Tell Larry thanks for all this."

"He really did try hard on this party, you know," said Maya seriously. "Like, the hardest I've ever seen him try."

"I know," Phoenix replied, "And I do appreciate it. Really. But Miles and I kind of already had plans, so—"

"Ooh, what plans?" the spirit medium cut him off, her eyes glittering with mischief. "Gonna go make out somewhere?"

"Well, no; actually Edgeworth was gonna show me this jou—"

"Yes, absolutely," Miles said loudly, drowning out Phoenix's words. He grabbed Phoenix's hand. "That is what is going to happen. It has been planned for weeks and will last for quite some time. We shall return later." And with that, he started to drag the bewildered Phoenix off.

"Gross," said Maya, looking delighted. "Be safe, you two!" she called after them.

"Are we really going to make out?" Phoenix asked his fiance when they were out of earshot. The question had come out maybe more excited than he meant it to.

The prosecutor gave him an impatient look. "I'm going to show you the journal! We just talked about this, Wright!"

"Oh, right. Well, the two events don't have to be mutually exclusive," Phoenix said hopefully. His brow furrowed suddenly as he thought a moment. "Wait, you'd rather people thought we were making out somewhere than let them know you wrote me something sweet and personal?"

"Yes," said Miles immediately.

"Looking forward to those vows you'll make in front of everyone, dear," Phoenix said flatly.

"Sounds like what Kay said," Miles snorted. "But I assure both of you, my vows will be suitably romantic." He was still pulling Phoenix along, but he looked over his shoulder to shoot his fiance a smile as he squeezed his hand.

Phoenix was pretty sure Miles could shout " _I find you acceptable and only occasionally irritating_ " on their wedding day, and Phoenix would be fine with it as long as he smiled at him like that.

* * *

Next time: Memories.


	2. Reflections

**A/N:** WHEW! Finally finished this thing! I hope you guys like it.

* * *

"So, okay," said Phoenix when they were outside. "You have me alone. Now what is it?"

"I'd wanted the circumstances to be more romantic," said Miles regretfully, "but… here!" And then he was shoving a small leather-bound book into his chest and whirling around, his posture as stiff as a life-size nutcracker and his back to Phoenix.

Phoenix blinked at this odd behavior, but then looked down at the book he was holding against his own chest.

The cover was blank, just smooth inky indigo, like the sky above them right now. Phoenix flipped it over. There was nothing written on the back either, though the lights outside the courthouse provided adequate illumination.

He opened the journal.

It was filled with Miles' tidy, elegant script. Page after page of his writing. Phoenix flipped through it, his eyes widening as he realized how many pages there were. "Is this whole journal filled?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, I had quite a number of years to consolidate into one volume," Miles defended himself, still not looking at him. "Now stop fanning the pages like a flip-book and read it before I change my mind."

"Right away, darling," Phoenix responded sweetly, because he knew pet names annoyed Miles and frankly that amused Phoenix.

 _For Phoenix,_ the first page read. It was unlined, unlike the rest of the pages. There was a smaller message underneath the dedication: _May you read this and remember all that we have been through together._

Page 1 was from the year Miles and he had met again in the courtroom, after 15 years apart. It must have been the first entry he'd written about Phoenix, because it referred to him only as "s _omeone I have not seen since I was a child._ " It then went on about how said childhood acquaintance was just a foolish rookie, but it also described him with a rather gratuitous amount of detail. Phoenix knew if he showed any amusement at this, Miles would yank the book out of his hands and destroy it, though.

The next entry was after the Powers case.

 _Have had to rethink some things,_ it read. _When I saw how tightly he clung to his faith in the defendant, it stirred something in me. It has been a long time since I've seen a defense attorney who actually believes in their client. I had thought they had vanished along with my father._

 _By working together, that defense attorney and I revealed the truth, and I felt at peace when the verdict was announced. I should be upset, as it means I have been trounced twice now by the same man, my stellar win record sullied. Yet I can feel no resentment towards him for this._

 _If my mentor were to find out I've helped a defense attorney, he would be furious. I can hear him now: Defense attorneys are lesser than insects. Defense attorneys are mere rats, aiding other unsavory creatures. To concede defeat to a defense attorney means you are beneath even them._

 _Yet when I look at that man, I feel the foundations of all I believe waver. That tenacity, that fighting for every inch… It feels just like looking at my father, back then._

 _But I could never tell him this. No, it's better to persevere in the path I have chosen: that of an unyielding hand of justice who will not be swayed with naive ideals or childhood follies. It is best to avoid him, and avoid thinking of this.  
Still, I feel… uneasy._

Phoenix's eyes ran over the two pages of this entry. Had he really made that much of an impression, so soon? He supposed he himself had been equally consumed in thoughts about Edgeworth, but that was because he'd _always_ been consumed in thoughts about Edgeworth. Saving Edgeworth had been his purpose, the most precious thing to fight for. Which was why, a year later, when he'd thought he had failed…

 _He becomes sullen and agitated at the mere mention of my name, I am told.  
I want to contact him. Let him know I am safe. But what I said in my note is true: the man I was is dead, and now I am discovering what Miles Edgeworth really stands for. When I stand before him again, I hope it will be as a better man._

 _Still, I hadn't thought my departure would hurt P so_. _Am having the good Detective keep tabs on him. He is, at least, better at keeping me informed than he is at cleaning my office without breaking anything._

It was pretty dauntless of him to include an entry from one of the most painful times in Phoenix's life, but he understood why it was there: to remind Phoenix that he had never left Miles' mind.

He read through the entries feverishly, drinking in all the words Miles had to offer and then eagerly flipping to the next page. The man himself was standing off to the side, staring up at the sky and very carefully not looking at Phoenix. But he didn't really need to say anything, Phoenix thought. The writing in this book was telling all the stories. Some were from crucial events in their lives; others were just brief recollections that Phoenix only remembered upon reading them.

 _Miss F, P's associate, invited me to a celebratory dinner. I informed her that there was hardly anything for me to celebrate, as the trial had not ended in my favor, but she merely frowned at me and told me that 'that's not what we're celebrating.' Curious, I asked what it was we_ were _celebrating, then. "It's been a whole two years since we met you in court," she said. "I want to celebrate the bonds we've forged. I think they're always going to be strong." She looked in P's direction when she said this._ _"He won't say it, but I think you're the most important person in his life."  
How could I refuse, hearing that? _

Phoenix smiled. Maya really had been helping them along the whole time.

Then came the entries that he'd been dreading as he read along. Seven straight years of uselessness and broken dreams. His stomach sank like a stone like it always did when he thought back to those days. But when his eyes scanned over the journal entries, he saw how much pain Miles had been in, too. He hadn't just been working hard to rise in the ranks. He'd also been watching over Phoenix, worrying about him and feeling heartache on his behalf…

 _I wish I could say something of comfort to him. Just one useful thing. When I see him looking so broken, it feels as though something inside me cracks. I can fly him all over Europe, help him buy groceries every month, even respond to parenting emergencies I am in no way prepared to handle, but still it seems that I can do nothing for him that will make a difference.  
Not for long. I vow to someday have the power to change things. If I cannot bring P back to this world with me, I will bring the world back to him. I will flip everything on its head, just as he would do. I will show him that no matter how things change, I will always be here to hold onto._

 _And once I have proven this…  
I wonder: if I took his hand, would he mind? Would he hold on, too?_

Phoenix swallowed thickly. His eyes were stinging again. "Miles," he murmured. "You were always making a difference. I only had two sources of happiness in those days, and you know exactly what they were."

Miles reluctantly turned and nodded. "Trucy… and myself."

"For the record," Phoenix said, resting his shoulder against his fiance's and grasping his hand, "I wouldn't have minded." He chuckled, though it was more out of awkwardness than actual joy. "Hell, that might have given me a high to ride for a week or so."

"You were… vulnerable," Miles said, shaking his head. "I could not bear to place more pressure on you. Not when you… depended on me." His mouth was quivering.

Phoenix frowned, concerned. "Hey, it's okay," he said. "Holding my hand or not, you gave me the strength to keep going. I'm always going to be thankful for that."

"I was only returning the favor," said Miles.

Phoenix nudged his shoulder. "Don't do that. Don't diminish what you did for me."

"Sorry." Miles cleared his throat. "Anyway, keep reading, will you?" His voice had taken on that tone that meant _I'm going to get emotional if I don't change the subject right now._

"Yes sir," Phoenix replied, smirking.

Most of the entries after that were lighthearted, even whimsical. Entries about dinners they'd shared, walks they'd taken ( _so_ that _was why he laughed that one time,_ Phoenix thought), umbrellas he'd never returned. They were more tender, more poetic than the ones at the beginning of the book. Slowly, without Phoenix even noticing, they'd become words not just of appreciation, but of love. And speaking of which...

 _Somehow, against all odds, it would appear my affections are returned. I'm not sure why or how, but a drunken mistake on my part has led to… where I am now. I scarcely dared to believe it, and so I wrote not a word of it in this journal. But it has been two weeks now, and thus I find myself wanting to record things so that I might at least have the memories, should anything go awry. At the same time, I hesitate to write down any of the things I want to write down, as they are dreadfully maudlin and most unlike myself. But I thought that perhaps I ought to take a leap every once in a while, so here we are.  
He radiates warmth. Even when he's not nearby, I feel the comfort of his presence. I laugh almost every day now, and it is because of him. He is a daily distraction, and I don't mind at all. He makes me feel as if I can keep my footing even if the earth_ _trembles beneath me.  
I will say no more for now. The thought of these words someday being the only proof of this is… more painful than I can bear. As with all things, I will proceed with caution._

"It looks like you have a lot more than just _these_ words as proof now," Phoenix remarked, but it was mostly to save face, because he had started sniffling.

"I knew you'd get emotional," Miles said gruffly, squeezing his hand.

"Well come on, Miles; how could I not?!" he burst out.

"You're not even to the end yet," said the prosecutor then, pointing to the book again. Well, at least he seemed less mortified now. Maybe seeing Phoenix embarrass himself by crying made him feel better or something.

"Fine, fine, I'll keep going," he muttered, and returned his attention to the journal. The entries from after they moved in together were shorter, but glowed with familiarity. "Hey, you stopped calling me 'P'!" he realized.

"I thought it might be time to stop trying to distance myself, and be honest about… the person I love," Miles said awkwardly.

Phoenix just grinned and rested his head on Miles' shoulder as he kept reading.

And then he got to the final page.

 _Phoenix,_ it said, _this is but a small sampling of the many ways in which you have changed my life._

Phoenix felt his brows draw together, wanting to memorize this unique entry. It was addressed directly to him, rather than being about him. Every line was written just for his eyes.

 _You have made me a better prosecutor, and even more than that, you have made me a better man..._

 _...I feel I would lose my way without you..._

 _...I wish to offer you all the love I can..._

 _Will you let me stay by your side?_

 _Will you marry me?_

Phoenix bit his lip as he stared at the last page, willing his hands to stop shaking because it was making him look like a real drama queen here. "You always like to pretend you're above all these kinds of sweet gestures," he whispered, "but you've always been just as in love with me as I have with you, haven't you?"

Miles kissed the top of his head. "I suppose I can't deny it in the face of all this evidence."

Phoenix laughed at his evasive wording, and turned himself to grab him by the shoulders and kiss him. Miles met him with enthusiasm, one arm around his waist to pull him closer while the other buried itself in Phoenix's hair. The defense attorney smiled between kisses and let himself rest against the wall of the building, loving the way Miles leaned into him and pressed against his chest. So this journal was what Miles had been hiding all along, Phoenix thought. He'd been writing sentimental, emotional things about his courtroom rival in journals for over 10 years. He'd—oh god, Miles was kissing his throat now; he couldn't continue that train of thought. No further trains of thought were capable of even leaving the station now. He let his mouth fall open in a gasp. Usually a kiss on the neck was kind of Phoenix's move, but god, he could see why it drove Miles crazy. He could feel his own heartbeat thrumming under Miles' lips, could feel the vibration against Miles' mouth whenever he let a sound escape. Though the night air was cool, the defense attorney was starting to feel much too warm in his layers of clothing. He wondered if Miles was starting to overheat as well...

It was around the time Phoenix was starting to become seriously worried about his knees giving out beneath him that Miles nuzzled near his ear and whispered "Car."

"Wh-what?" His brain was still fuzzy. "What car?..."

" _My_ car, Phoenix," he clarified, pulling Phoenix away from the side of the building to stand up straight again. "We shouldn't be kissing right outside the courthouse. It's… improper."

There were several things about this situation that were improper, and Phoenix wasn't sure their location was the most pressing concern. But if this was the one Miles was offering a solution for… "So you're saying that if I come with you to your car, we can keep…?"

"Obviously, that was my intended meaning," Miles said impatiently.

"Lead the way," Phoenix agreed immediately, letting his fiance pull him along in the direction of the red sports car.

* * *

Miles' car was not built for any kind of amorous activity, they discovered. The backseat was in no way spacious, and even maneuvering enough to hold one another had resulted in elbows banged against doors and heads bumping into headrests. It was awkward, and cramped, and much too warm.

It was still the most fun Phoenix had had all week anyway.

"I do love you, Phoenix," Miles breathed near his ear as Phoenix held him close to his chest, both of them sprawled across the two front seats. It was very uncomfortable against Phoenix's back, but he couldn't bring himself to care, especially when Miles was whispering those words to him.

Phoenix caressed the side of his face and kissed him on the mouth, then pulling back to murmur in return: "And I love you..." Another quick kiss. "...nicorns."

Miles pulled back to stare at him, his face rapidly turning crimson, while Phoenix grinned up at him impishly. "I have half a mind to throw you out one of these windows and leave you here," the prosecutor growled.

He didn't, though, because Phoenix just smiled wider and pulled him back down for another kiss.

* * *

When the two lawyers emerged back on the scene, slipping into the courtroom amid all their friends, only about an hour had passed since they'd left.

"Whoa, you guys actually made it back," Maya said when she saw them, her eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Not sure whether I should be relieved or suspicious. I think I'm going to go with suspicious." She squinted at Phoenix and gave him a twice-over. "Hmm… you were gone an awfully long time for just a regular old makeout..."

"I'm gonna stop you right there and tell you upfront that nothing untoward happened," Phoenix cut her off. He wasn't about to stand around and let her speculate about things that were none of her business.

"Oh, okay. I guess you must have poison ivy on your neck or something then," Maya said innocently, but a wicked grin spread across her face.

Phoenix felt his face igniting into a furious blush. He looked at Miles a little accusingly.

Miles looked equally embarrassed, but just offered him a shrug and a spasm of his mouth that was probably supposed to be an apologetic smile.

The defense attorney sighed and turned back to his best man. "Look, just trust me when I say that Edgeworth is a neat freak. He won't even let people _eat_ in his car. If... you get what I'm saying." He looked to Miles for backup, but he had turned away from them both, his ears blazing red. Phoenix was evidently on his own here.

"Thanks, but I didn't need to know all that," said Maya, pulling a face.

His face felt ready to burst into flame. "Nothing happened!"

"Whatever you say," she singsonged with an exaggerated shrug. Phoenix buried his face in his hand. "Anyway, it's good that you're back now. I've had to keep making excuses for you this whole time."

"Oh no," moaned Phoenix, a sense of dread settling over him. "Excuses like what?..."

"Liiiike..." Maya tilted her head and started counting things off. "You were in the bathroom, Mr. Edgeworth was in the bathroom, you were both in the bathroom because party snacks don't agree with you—"

"Were all of them just bathroom-related?!" Phoenix burst out.

"No!" said Maya defensively, crossing her arms. "I also said one of you had to step out for a phone call, so there!"

The defense attorney sighed, slumping a little. "Well, thanks for handling things, I guess..." Though he wondered how many of their guests now thought he or his fiance were dealing with digestive problems. He would have almost preferred them to think what Maya had assumed rather than that.

"Miss Fey's questionable diversionary tactics aside," said Miles— _'Miss Fey'?_ Phoenix thought. _He must be pretty annoyed_ —"Wright and I should get back to talking to our guests." He inclined his head slightly to Maya. "If you will excuse us." With that, he turned on his heel and made a convincingly dignified exit from the conversation.

The spirit medium cringed as she watched Miles square his shoulders and march off, not even looking back to see if Phoenix was following. "Am I in trouble with Mr. Edgeworth now?" said Maya.

"Probably," Phoenix answered with a nod.

"Am I in trouble with _you?_ " she asked then, looking up at Phoenix hesitantly.

He ruffled her hair probably harder than was warranted. "You're always in trouble. I'm the one who gets you _out_ of trouble, I'm sure you recall."

"Ack, cut it out, Nick!" she protested, flailing her arms and holding her now-slightly unkempt hair. "I'm sorry, all right? It was just the first thing that popped into my head when people asked me where you were!"

"Nice to know you associate us with toilets."

"Well you _do_ clean them a lot," she remarked thoughtfully.

He couldn't help but chuckle. "I guess you've got me there." He watched Miles walk up to Prosecutor Blackquill, exchange a few words, and then lean against the wall next to him, making the exact same slouchy, grumpy pose. "Uh-oh. He's Blackquilling. I better get over there."

"Good luck!" Maya called after him as he started off in that direction.

* * *

"Hey," he said when he approached the two silent prosecutors.

"Ah, Wright-dono," Blackquill said with a nod in his deep baritone. His hawk, Taka, made a small chirping sound which was probably supposed to be a greeting but which just reminded Phoenix all too much of the time the bird had swooped down on him talons-first. He took a step back in an attempt to stay out of swooping distance. "I am pleased to see that you and the Chief Prosecutor are no longer suffering the consequences of eating the food here," the prosecutor continued.

"Oh, we're still suffering," Phoenix said cheerfully. "Just not from the food." He turned to his fiance. "Maya says sorry about telling that to so many people, by the way."

"Hmph," said Miles, but he straightened up and stopped looking so gloomy, so Phoenix guessed that he was willing to forgive her.

"Anyway, did Larry have anything planned for this party, or is it just a bunch of people talking to one another while my daughter does magic tricks?" the defense attorney wondered aloud.

"Glad you asked, Nick!" Larry shouted, emerging out of nowhere and making everyone, even Blackquill, jump. Phoenix's hapless childhood friend slung an arm around his shoulders and shook them a little. "I did in fact plan a ton of activities! But since it looks like the strippers are no-shows, that kind of cuts down on how many of the activities we can actually do."

A small part of Phoenix wondered how many activities Larry could have possibly planned that required the presence of strippers, but the greater part of himself vehemently did not want the answer to that question. "Well, what else did you plan?"

Larry shuffled himself and Phoenix over to sling his other arm around Miles' shoulders. "For one thing, there's always drinking games!"

" _What?!_ " Phoenix squawked, ducking out of Larry's grip so he could face him. "There's _alcohol_ here?!"

"There's been alcohol here this whole time," Larry informed him. He pointed over to a corner of the room, where the Gallery would typically sit. There was indeed a small bar set up. "Come on, Nick, it's like you've never been to a bachelor party," Larry snorted.

Well, that was because Phoenix _had_ never been to one, but that was beside the point. "Alcohol in a courthouse? Is that even legal?!" He held his head in his hands, panic starting to fill his chest.

"Since this courtroom is presumably being rented out for the event, things that are typically prohibited may be allowed," Miles said. "However, if any damage should be sustained by this room because of anyone at this party, I'd imagine there would be grave consequences." He glared at Larry intensely, his gray eyes like sharpened flint. "Very. Grave. Consequences."

"A-All right, man, chill," Larry murmured, holding up his hands as if to calm down a rearing horse. It was no wonder he looked so nervous: the last thing Larry Butz needed was to get into more trouble with the law. "My last book was not as much of a hit as I'd hoped, so I couldn't bring in too much booze anyway," he muttered, a little downcast.

"Is there _sake_?" Blackquill interjected, and his guttural voice actually sounded a little hopeful.

Larry pointed at him with both index fingers. "You bet there is, tall scary monochrome dude!"

"I see," responded Blackquill, seemingly choosing to ignore the rest of Larry's words. "I will be off, then." He inclined his head respectfully to Miles, and then walked off solemnly, Taka fluttering his wings fussily on the prosecutor's shoulder.

"I'm surprised he didn't have any scathing words for Larry. He seems like a prime target to ridicule," Phoenix remarked.

"Hey!" Larry protested.

"He's actually quite respectful outside the courtroom," Miles explained. "Although I suppose we _are_ in a courtroom right now... but you understand my meaning."

"Well, in any case, I think we should start this drinking game I have set up," Larry said excitedly, steering them both in the direction of the bar.

Maya trotted up to rejoin them as well, her eyes lit up. "It actually is a pretty good game, I have to say," she said to Phoenix.

"How do you know what we were talking about?" Phoenix asked.

"I have good ears," Maya said dismissively. This was news to Phoenix. He suspected she'd been watching and had seen Larry starting to corral them towards the bar. "Anyway, yeah, the game!" the spirit medium continued. "Larry really outdid himself. We're going to—"

But Phoenix didn't get to hear what they were going to do, because at that moment their attention was drawn to the courtroom doors, which were bursting open dramatically. Heads all over the room turned in the direction of the entrance, and when Phoenix managed to catch sight of who was standing there—

"Franziska?!" Miles sputtered out incredulously.

Indeed, Franziska von Karma stood before the doors, hip cocked and trademark frown in place. She had the kind of intimidating presence that commanded attention, so the party tapered into silence as they all stared at the newcomer.

She narrowed her eyes and glared around the room. "Why are you all just gawping? Is this not a party?"

"It is," Phoenix forced out, "but nobody thought you'd be here."

"Well I am!" proclaimed Franziska. She laid a hand on the whip at her side. "Now I demand that you all resume your partygoing activities!" How could she manage to sound threatening even when she was encouraging people to party?

Regardless of the unusual nature of the prosecutor's command, everyone turned away and chatter gradually started back up again. Phoenix and Miles, however, remained fixated on her as she marched up to them, her chin held high.

"Franzy!" Larry greeted her loudly when she was still halfway across the room, sounding convincingly genial, though Phoenix noticed that he seemed to be hiding behind Miles. "Glad you could make it!"

"How did you get her to come?" asked Phoenix, genuinely baffled.

"Don't ask me. She hung up on me," said Larry with a shrug. It looked like he had started to sweat as he watched Franziska approach. "A-Anyway, I'm gonna get things set up for the game now bye!" And then he was off, demonstrating an ability to escape from the scene that only Larry Butz could have.

"So if he didn't tell her," Miles pondered, "who did?..."

"Um," said Maya, smiling a bit sheepishly, "That would be me. I… may have told her we were having a party tonight."

Phoenix's eyebrows flew up. "Since when are you in contact with Franziska von Karma?"

"Since we both became Best Ladies, Nick!" she shot back, and then held up her hand as Franziska reached them. "Right, Franziska? Up top!"

"What are you doing?" said Franziska, eyeing Maya's hand suspiciously.

"It's a high five!" When the other woman merely continued to stare, the spirit medium sighed dejectedly and lowered her hand. "We'll work on that."

"Well, regardless of who informed you, I'm pleased to see you, Franziska," Miles said with a slight smile.

"Of course you are," she said smugly, smirking a little. "I expect my presence has lightened up this gathering considerably." Then she turned her head slightly and locked her eyes on Phoenix.

He very bravely did not flinch at her penetrating stare. It had not changed in all the years since Phoenix had seen her last. "H-Hi, Franziska," he mumbled weakly, holding up a hand to wave halfheartedly. "You, um, you look good?..."

Her mouth pursed over to one side as she gave him a twice-over. "You've aged," she pronounced.

Well. That was a fine thing to hear on the evening of your bachelor party. "Yes," he said morosely, "people tend to do that."

She stared at him a moment longer, but then the smallest of smiles graced her elegant face. "Ah, there it is. That delightful defeated expression. I almost didn't recognize you without it." Then she spread her arms. "Come, embrace your future sister-in-law."

Phoenix looked around, half-convinced there was a hidden camera somewhere and someone was going to jump out and say "GOTCHA!" When no one sprang out, however, and everyone continued to just stare at him expectantly, he gulped and stepped forward, and Franziska flung her arms around his shoulders. His hands came up to hold her back, which was deceptively delicate and warm. Hm. She did not seem to be made of granite, after all. Maybe she'd turned over a new leaf? Maybe he was actually residing in a universe where Franziska von Karma smiled and offered hugs?

"This is nice," he commented.

She chuckled over his shoulder, and then said sweetly near his ear: "If you hurt my brother, I will slaughter you. Count on that, Phoenix Wright." And then she was pulling back to hold him by the arms, where her warm smile was frozen in place. "Got it?"

"Y-yeah," he choked out, suppressing a shudder at the cruel glint in her icy eyes. "Good talk, sis." He was still residing in the same old universe, he guessed.

Her smile finally soured into a scowl as she released him. "I am going to get a drink. You will all carry on without me until I return." Then she stalked off, her heels clicking against the floor.

"Franziska hasn't hugged me spontaneously since I took her to a haunted house, where she got frightened," Miles muttered, stepping up beside his fiance. "She was eight." He smiled, a warm and affectionate expression that melted Phoenix's heart. "I must admit, I am happy to see her attempt to be friendlier."

Well, Phoenix hated to disappoint him, but… "Yeah, I can already tell we're gonna be best buds," he deadpanned. "Someday maybe she'll even talk to me without threatening to kill me."

Miles' eyes widened. "Pardon?!"

But Phoenix didn't get the chance to explain, because Larry was suddenly shouting from over by the minibar: "ATTENTION, PARTY ANIMALS!"

"Don't shout," Franziska growled, sitting on one of the stools.

"Right, sorry," he said hastily, taking a respectful step away from her. "Ahem. It is now time to begin the planned drinking game activity. We will all be watching…!" He trailed off, and then looked to the side, where absolutely no one was standing. Larry turned back to face the crowd, his eyes falling right on Maya. He mouthed something that was either " _where is it?_ " or " _watermelons._ " Phoenix wasn't great at lip-reading.

"Oh, crap!" Maya said, and bolted out of the courtroom before Phoenix could even ask any questions.

"Uh, please stand by," said Larry awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I promise it will be great, as soon as—ah, look, she's back already!"

Indeed, Maya had reentered the courtroom, pushing a television on a rolling cart. It must have been very heavy, because she was wheeling it very slowly. All eyes followed her laborious progress. "Almost there!" she huffed, voice strained. "Don't worry! I've got it! I didn't forget!"

"For goodness' sake," Miles muttered, yanking Phoenix along with him as he took pity on the spirit medium. Phoenix and his fiance took over for her, pushing the television to where Larry was waiting. It was indeed pretty heavy and difficult to move, especially because Phoenix was pretty sure that at least one of the wheels was broken.

"Thanks, guys," said Maya, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"I'm not sure why Larry couldn't help, but no problem," replied Phoenix.

"I'm the MC; I couldn't just leave!" Larry insisted. "Anyway." He cleared his throat importantly. "We will now be watching a courtroom battle between the groom-to-be and the… er. Other groom-to-be! Now, I called this a drinking game, so you may be wondering: what are the rules?"

"I _was_ wondering that!" Detective Gumshoe declared, sounding excited.

"That's right you were!" Larry said, pointing at him. "And I have the answer: We will be taking a drink every time one of these two says something suggestive!"

"What?!" Phoenix squeaked, horrified.

"Suggestive of what?" Trucy's voice chirped, and all the blood in Phoenix's flushed face immediately drained out of it. How had he almost forgotten his daughter was here?!

"Uh," said Larry, looking panicked. "Um, th-that is..."

"I'm just kidding; I'm not a child," Trucy giggled. "Carry on!"

"Oh thank god. I was _not_ prepared to discuss that," Larry said in relief. "Back to the rules! We will also be taking a sip every time Nick's face goes red!"

"Hey, it's a courtroom battle!" Phoenix protested, mortified. "I'm flushed with determination!"

"Sure you are, buddy," Larry said affectionately. Phoenix glared at him. "Nick's adorable blushing aside, we will be draining our glasses whenever one of them says they accept the other's proposal! And that's it! Everyone ready?"

"Hey wait!" Maya called out, having seated herself next to Franziska. "What about whenever one of them says 'Objection'? Or whenever Mr. Edgeworth says ' _hmph'_?"

"Maya, we'd die," Phoenix said.

"Speak for yourself," she snorted, and then held a bottle of Stewart's aloft. "I'm drinking soda."

Phoenix furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What's the point of doing a drinking game if you're drinking soda?"

"Participation!" she declared, grinning and holding her bottle of root beer up to Franziska, apparently waiting for her to tap her glass against it. Franziska did nothing, however, so Maya just shrugged and took a sip of her drink. "And what about whenever one of them bangs on the desk?" she suggested afterward.

"That is a forceful motion that we make for emphasis," Miles said, frowning and crossing his arms. "We do not 'bang' on the desks."

Maybe it was Phoenix's imagination, but he was pretty sure he heard Maya snort and mutter "Maybe not _yet_ you don't" before she took another sip of root beer.

"Enough dawdling," Franziska spoke up. "Play the recording, assuming that television can even handle it."

"Ha, good one, Franziska. I don't know if _anyone_ can handle the tension between these two," Maya quipped.

"No," said the other woman, shaking her head, "I mean that the television is very old. It may actually qualify as an antique."

"It'll be fine!" Larry said insistently, and pressed the Play button.

The recording was a little grainy and the colors looked kind of weird, but it did indeed play adequately. It was strange, watching a recording of himself and Edgeworth as they used to be—the recording had to be at least a few years old. There was indeed a lot of face-flushing on his part—how had no one ever mentioned this to him before, he wondered?

" _He only makes that face when his back is to the wall!_ " declared the Edgeworth on the recording.

Everyone took a drink.

"Oh, come on," Miles grumbled, but he took a sip.

" _Ah, I do love to see you squirm, Mr. Wright,"_ Recorded Edgeworth said smugly. Everyone drank again, amid a few quiet snickers.

"It's a common expression!" Miles defended himself, his cheeks pink as he looked around the courtroom at everyone. "I meant nothing by it!"

"You didn't?" said Phoenix, almost a little disappointed.

"W-Well, I..." Miles looked evasive, his gray eyes darting around. "I mean, it—it certainly wasn't _intentional..._ "

"No talking during the movie!" Larry shouted disruptively, and then grinned and gave a thumbs-up to the two of them. "Always wanted to say that to someone for a change, heh."

Phoenix and Miles rolled their eyes.

* * *

By the time the recording (which was only about half an hour and didn't even cover a full day of courtroom proceedings) was finished, everyone had drained their glasses at least once (thankfully, the phrase "I accept the prosecution's proposal" had only been said the one time). Phoenix and Miles were only slightly tipsy, as they had chosen the weakest of the various weak drinks Larry had procured for them, but Phoenix was pretty sure Miles' mild intoxication was the only reason he hadn't immediately vetoed the next activity: "How Well Do You Know the Couple."

"So, you stand around and ask increasingly invasive questions about our romantic lives, and we tell you if your guesses are correct or incorrect?" Miles summed up when Larry explained the rules.

"Yep, that's about it!" he confirmed.

Miles shrugged. "Well, we simply won't answer the questions that are too personal," he said, glancing over at his partner for approval.

Phoenix nodded. "That seems fair."

"Aw, you're not supposed to be able to just _not answer stuff!_ " their old friend protested.

"Buddy, have I got some bad news for you about lawyers," said Maya, holding her fourth root beer of the night. Honestly, Phoenix was surprised she hadn't excused herself to the little girls' room a dozen times by now.

" _Hmph_ ," Miles said to that, and a quick double-take at him revealed that he was actually chuckling at Maya's joke. Whoa, perhaps he'd had more to drink than Phoenix realized.

"Well, at least this game will save me the trouble of the interrogation I had planned for Phoenix Wright," Franziska sighed, and then rolled her hand in a _get on with it_ motion. "Bring forth the questions."

"Interrogation?" Phoenix repeated worriedly, but no one seemed to pay any attention to that.

"First question!" Larry said importantly, and then his shoulders relaxed a little. "Wait, can you all see me? Should I stand on the bar?"

"No," replied everyone.

"Okay then," he said, sounding a bit disappointed. "First question! Where did these guys meet?"

"Are we supposed to shout out the answers, or write them down?" asked Klavier Gavin from the back of the room.

"Uh..." Larry looked taken off-guard. "J-Just shout 'em out I guess?"

"You didn't plan for this, did you, Larry?" Maya guessed flatly.

"Okay, so _maybe_ I just thought of this activity half an hour before the party started," he admitted, "but it's still a good idea!"

"They met at a class trial!" Detective Gumshoe yelled, cupping his hands over his mouth. "Mr. Edgeworth finally told me the story after I kept asking him for ten years! Wright was accused of stealing money, but Mr. Edgeworth stuck up for him!"

"You are correct!" Larry said excitedly. His expression turned contemplative, and he folded his arms. "I notice you left me out of the story though. Why is that?"

"I'm still not a hundred percent sure who you are, pal," said Detective Gumshoe cheerfully.

Larry reeled back like he'd been slapped. "Wh—I'm only the best friend these two have ever had!" he said emphatically. He looked to Phoenix and Miles for support. "Right guys?! Tell 'em!"

Phoenix and Miles exchanged a look. "We… have known Larry Butz a very long time," Phoenix conceded.

"It hasn't been easy," Miles added. "Every time we think he's gone for a while, he keeps coming back."

"Yeah. He's like a dog, only he won't fetch your newspaper unless you pay him."

"You guys are so mean," Larry whined, hanging his head.

"Relax, Larry, we love you. We're only kidding," said Phoenix, grinning.

"We are?" Miles said in surprise.

"NEXT QUESTION," Larry bellowed. "Where did our happy couple have their first kiss?"

"I'm not answering that," Miles decided.

"I'm supporting that decision," Phoenix agreed.

"You guys suck," said Larry.

"I bet it was at the Agency," Trucy guessed. "When Papa was getting his office renovated, right?" A glance back at her revealed that she was smiling in that innocent way of hers, but the glint in her eye was anything but innocent.

"How could you possibly know that?!" Phoenix blurted, and then covered his mouth. "Oops." Miles only sighed.

"Wow, nice work, little Trucy!" said their hapless MC, looking delighted. "Uncle Larry's proud of you!"

"Thanks, Uncle Larry!" Trucy shouted back, grinning. Phoenix groaned. She had indeed started calling the strange man in orange "uncle."

"Next: Where do these two like to go on dates?"

"They don't go on dates; they live together," Maya pointed out.

"Wrong," Miles corrected, sounding glad to point out flaws in others' reasoning as per usual. "The last date we went on was at the theater. We enjoyed live music."

Trucy frowned thoughtfully. "Wasn't that because you were trying to propose, Papa?"

"Nngh," said Miles.

Larry made a buzzer sound that really sounded more like a raspberry. "I'm sorry, sir, but the question was not 'where was the last date?' It was 'where do they _like to go_ on dates?'" He looked smug. "No one has an answer for us?…" Everyone looked around at one another. "It appears that you all have been stumped by my ingenious question!" He looked quite pleased with himself.

"You don't have the answer either, though, do you, Larry?" Phoenix asked.

The proud expression on their friend's face faltered. "Well… I… I could make an educated guess..."

"A guess by him would be anything but educated," Miles muttered near Phoenix's ear. Phoenix snickered.

"Hey! No laughing at the MC!" Larry shouted, pointing at them both like he'd caught them passing notes in class.

As the night wore on, everyone broke _that_ rule at least once.

* * *

"Well, I have to say, Larry, you planned a party and it was _not_ a total disaster." Phoenix patted him on the back, as the three old friends (plus Maya and Franziska) watched everyone leaving the courthouse one-by-one after hugs and congratulations and _keep-us-posted_ s had been exchanged.

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me," Larry murmured fervently, looking moved.

"Although no one asked for this… gathering," said Miles, "I agree that it was not a total waste of time. Thank you, Larry." And then he smiled at him, his expression unguarded in that way that usually meant he either had drank an alcoholic beverage, or was alone with Phoenix.

Larry's eyes swam with tears. "Wow… Edgey's actually saying _thank you?_ " He flung his arms around Miles, blubbering into his shoulder. "You've grown so much, man! I'm so proud of you!"

"Er… thank you," said Miles, patting him awkwardly on the back. He looked as if he was less than pleased with being praised for his development by this man, however.

Phoenix then found himself being bludgeoned with a forceful hug as well. "And you, Nick… you were such a dork back in the day, I was worried you'd wind up all alone!"

" _Me?_ "

"But you're such a great, reliable guy now!" he continued. He gave Phoenix an uncomfortably tight squeeze. "You two take care of each other, all right?"

"I'll… do my best," Phoenix choked out, strained.

"Well… I guess I should be going," he sighed then, releasing the defense attorney at last. But then he glanced at the two lawyers out of the corner of his eye. "Unless you guys wanna grab drinks?..." His voice was hopeful.

"Ahem," said Trucy politely. "I'm still here, Uncle Larry."

"Oh, sorry, Trucy," Larry said, smacking himself in the forehead. "You're so little, it's easy to forget you're there!" Phoenix was pretty sure he'd just forgotten because he was a total scatterbrain, though.

"Yeah, I think we'd all like to get home. Maybe another night, Larry," Maya said with a yawn. She looked over at Franziska, who was standing off slightly separate from the others. "Hey Franziska, do you have a ride home? I didn't drink, so I'm good if you need one."

"Thank you, Maya Fey, but I have already made arrangements," Franziska replied with a slight curtsy. "That said, I shall be taking my leave now as well." She turned to fix her icy glare on Miles. "Miles Edgeworth."

"Franziska von Karma," he responded, fondly.

"You are…" She glanced over at Phoenix momentarily, her frown deepening, and then returned her attention to the prosecutor. "A very lucky fool, to have found such happiness."

"Yes," he agreed.

She walked closer to him, but then stopped and shuffled her feet awkwardly, staring at the floor and opening her mouth a few times before closing it again.

"Oh just hug him already," Phoenix finally said impatiently.

"Silence, Phoenix Wright!" Franziska retorted, her face pink, but she didn't get any further than that before Miles wrapped her in a hug. Her eyes fell closed, and she embraced him in turn for a moment. When they parted, Phoenix was almost sure he'd heard Franziska sniffle, but maybe she had allergies or something. "I will be in contact," she said, her voice quieter than usual and her expression softer.

"I should hope so," said Miles. "The best man is rather crucial, after all."

"Even if there's two of them?" Franziska snorted, rolling her eyes, and oh, the old Franziska was back again.

" _Especially_ if there's two of them!" Maya chimed in, sliding closer to Franziska and beaming up at her. Franziska frowned down at her, but it was a less pronounced frown than usual. The way her brow was furrowed almost suggested that she was trying to figure out Maya's behavior. Well, good luck to her, Phoenix thought.

"So, could I at least be a groomsman?" Larry wheedled, looking at Phoenix pleadingly.

Phoenix exchanged a glance with his partner. "I don't see why not, as long as you don't ruin anything," he decided when Miles gave him a small nod.

" _Yes! Score!"_ he whooped, pumping his fists, and then glanced at the two lawyers, who were eyeing him with something like regret. "Ahem, I mean…" He squared his shoulders and bowed to them slightly. "I won't let you down, guys."

Trucy grabbed onto Phoenix's and Miles' sleeves. "All right, you guys, it's way past my bedtime!"

"That's right, it is," Phoenix replied with a smile. "Thanks for the entertainment, Truce."

She let go of Phoenix to tip her hat to him. "It was my honor." Then she took hold of him again. "Let's go home."

"Wait," said Miles suddenly. His expression was grave when the others turned to look at him. "Did Larry ever lead a clean-up effort?..."

Phoenix felt a sense of dread in his chest. "Oh no..." They all turned to look at Larry, who suddenly looked rather… anxious.

"Uh," he said, by way of explanation.

"That rat!" Maya exclaimed after peeking in on the courtroom again. "He didn't try to clean up at all! The courtroom's a mess!"

"You no-good, rotten, sniveling, foolish man!" Franziska snarled, stomping her foot with a _clack._ "You have not changed at all!"

"Uhh, gee guys, I'd love to stay and chat, but..." He glanced at his naked wrist, and then gasped. "Oh, crap! I have a deadline in 6 hours! Sorry, everyone, I have to go!" He skedaddled, only pausing long enough to look over his shoulder and call out, "Bye guys! See you soon!" before he had vanished from sight.

"There's something I'm longing to say," Miles muttered darkly as they opened the doors to the courthouse.

"I know," Phoenix agreed. "Me too."

"I have a feeling I'm thinking of the same phrase," Franziska threw in, narrowing her eyes at Larry's retreating form. "Shall we all combine our efforts?"

"Don't leave us out!" Trucy giggled.

"On 3?" Maya said, and when they nodded, she continued. "1… 2… 3!"

"OBJECTION!" everyone shouted after him.

It was going to be a long night of cleanup, Phoenix thought, but there was no group of people he'd rather be with to do it.

* * *

 **A/N:**...Except Larry. Larry's still the worst (I love him though).

No matter what I had written, it still wouldn't have been an ending that sums up everything I want to give to you, readers. I love you all so much and I'm so thankful for each and every one of you. Thank you a million times over for everything, I love younicorns, and this isn't the last you'll see of me (or the Project: Matchmakers series, most likely)! In the meantime, though, I hope you'll find the time to read over these three fics and smile all over again.


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